How to check who is using my wifi. How to find out who is connected to Wi-Fi. Protecting your Internet from interference

A wireless WiFi network is now available in almost every home. With its help, it is very convenient to connect not only mobile devices, but also regular desktop computers to the network and the Internet. But, abandoning wires entails a decrease in the level of security. If you use WiFi, then any device can connect to your home network if it is within the coverage area of ​​the access point. In this regard, many users are interested in how to find out who is using my WiFi. If you are also concerned about this issue, then this article should help you.

Method No. 1. How to find out who is using WiFi through the router’s web interface.

The easiest and most obvious way to find out who is using WiFi is to go to the router’s web interface and look at the list of connected computers. To do this, open any browser and enter into the address bar of the browser. If you don't know what IP address your router has, then try 192.168.0.1 first, and then 192.168.1.1. Typically, routers use one of these IP addresses.

After entering the IP address, a form for entering your login and password should appear on the screen. Enter the login and password for your router into it and press the enter key. If you do not know your login/password or have other problems logging into the web interface. Then, you can familiarize yourself with ours.

Once you have entered the web interface, you need to find the settings section with a list of connected computers. Depending on your router model, this list may be located in different places.

For example, on ASUS routers the list of connected computers is in the “System Log – Wireless Log” section. In the Russian version of the web interface, this section is called “System Log - Wireless Communications”.

In this section of the web interface you can view a list of clients that use your WiFi, as well as see their MAC addresses. In order to find out IP addresses, you need to go to the “DHCP leases” or “DHCP Address Lease” tab in the Russian interface.

Method No. 1. How to find out who is using WiFi using the Wireless Network Watcher program.

You can also view a list of computers connected to the network using the Wireless Network Watcher program. This program is completely free, and you can. The principle of operation of the Wireless Network Watcher program is very simple. It scans the local network and displays all found computers in a list. It should be noted that, despite its name, the program displays all computers connected to the network, and not just those connected via WiFi. However, it is great for

In order to use the program, you just need to launch it on one of the computers that is connected to the network via cable, and wait until it scans the network.

Once you receive a list of computers connected to your network, you can easily find out who is using your WiFi. Other people's computers and devices can be identified by MAC addresses or device names (Device Name).

Nowadays, no one will be surprised by the Internet almost everywhere. One of the technologies that allows this to happen is Wi-Fi. It makes our lives more comfortable and mobile in many ways. It's nice to enjoy the Internet from anywhere. And there are a huge number of gadgets that help us with this - smartphones, tablets, laptops and many others. However, the main advantage of Wi-Fi - its general availability - is also its main disadvantage. And many, knowing this, will not resist the temptation to take advantage of this feature. Agree that when the speed of loading sites or downloading a movie decreases, the thought “Is anyone else using my Internet?” runs through my head, along with versions of a computer virus and problems with the provider. Now we will help you figure out how to find out who is connected to your Wi-Fi, and what should be done if your most unpleasant expectations are suddenly confirmed.

Securing your private WiFi network is the most important aspect when creating a HomeGroup

Everything through the router

The most common way to check for foreign connections does not require much effort from you. There is also no need to install any additional software. We will find out all the information that is needed for this using the web interface of your router. To do this, go to any available browser and enter 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in the address bar (depending on the model of installed equipment). Then in the window that appears, enter the username and password (you can find them on the back of the router or in its technical description). The settings panel for your Internet connection will open in front of you. Here we find something with the words “wireless mode statistics” and in the tab that opens we can see a list of devices that use this wireless connection, find out their MAC addresses and how much data they received and transmitted. We look in the list to see if there are any unnecessary devices. You can recognize yours by the names you gave them or by MAC addresses. We look at them either in the device information (for phones and tablets), or go to “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “Command Line” and, by entering the command “ipconfig / all”, look in the window that appears (for computers and laptops). Or, as a simpler option, you can initially turn off all devices that use Wi-Fi, and as a result, only the one from which you are searching should appear in the list.

If your worst fears are confirmed and someone else is using your router, you can choose one of the following options:

• prohibit the connection to this device and be sure to change the password, since with just one ban, the “consumer” of your traffic may simply start using another device or change its MAC address;
• add the addresses of all your devices to “allowed” in the router settings (you can see how to get there above). This method is more reliable, but to connect a new device, for example, your friend who came over for a cup of tea, you will need to add his device to your “white” list.

Useful program - Wireless Network Watcher

Another way to identify “illegal” connections is a specially designed program - Wireless Network Watcher. It can be downloaded for free, preferably from the official website. After installation and launch, it will scan the system and show a list of those who use your router. A small drawback of the program is that you can only view a list of connected devices and will not be able to block them. And if such a need arises, you will still have to return to the previous method to block or delete those who like to surf the Internet for free. You should also pay attention to the fact that this program will only help you if the device from which you want to search is connected directly by cable to the router.

Interface of the Wireless Network Watcher program, designed to detect and analyze Wi-Fi networks

A little about precautions

“It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it,” as doctors say. In our situation, this statement is also very applicable. To avoid unpleasant situations when a stranger wants to enjoy the Internet at your expense, you only need to follow a few rules:

• always set a password for your Wi-Fi, preferably a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters and several numbers (options 1111, 1234, qwer and your date of birth are not the best, take my word for it, if you don’t believe me, you can look it up on the Internet), it is also necessary change it periodically for prevention;
• do not use the password and network name that the router will ask you to set by default, be original - come up with your own;
• set the encryption mode in your Wi-Fi connection settings (starting from WAP 2 and higher).

Choose for yourself which of the proposed methods to see who is connected to my Wi-Fi. Both are good and reliable. No one in the modern world is immune from being hacked, but this is not the worst thing that can happen in life. Monitor your wireless connections, this will help protect not only your traffic, but also your personal files. After all, Wi-Fi was originally created to serve people and bring benefits, not negative emotions.

Nowadays it is almost impossible to imagine any home without Wi-Fi. Wireless networks give us access from a wide variety of gadgets, without the need for cables and additional accessories. But it’s worth remembering that the signal from a Wi-Fi router extends beyond your home. There will always be people who will definitely take advantage of the opportunity and start not only using your Internet completely free of charge, but also causing a lot of inconvenience. How can I find out who is connected to my Wi-Fi?

The first “symptoms” of third-party connections

Internet routers (routers) are now found in almost every apartment where there is access to the global network. These devices provide online access for a wide variety of devices - laptops, computers, tablets, smartphones and many others. But if your router’s signal extends beyond your home, there will definitely be those who will try to take advantage of the free Internet. You can determine that third-party gadgets are connected to Wi-Fi by the following signs:

• The speed of your Internet connection drops significantly, until the channel is completely clogged;
• router settings are changed without your knowledge;
• in the list of devices you see third-party gadgets whose MAC addresses you do not know;
• The WAN (wireless network) indicator transmits and receives data while you do not have any device connected to the router.

The main sign, as a rule, is the first point, since the more people use a wireless connection, the more the throughput of both the router and the provider decreases. Based on this sign, we can conclude that someone is using your Wi-Fi.

How to check Wi-Fi for third-party users?

We have decided on the symptoms and now it’s time to figure out how to find out which devices are unauthorized, as well as who has gained access to your router in the first place. The easiest way is to use the device admin panel:

• make sure that the router is connected to the computer and open any browser convenient for you;
• enter 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in the address bar (the address of the admin panel may differ depending on the router model, and all the necessary information can be found either in the instructions or on the bottom of the device);
• after this, a login/password entry window will appear in front of you, where you need to enter the necessary credentials, except for users of the dd-wrt firmware, where the confirmation window pops up only after navigating through the tabs;
• Here we go to the “Wireless Connections” tab and select “Network Statistics” (Wireless Statistic).

Here you can see a list of devices connected to your wireless network. Using it, you can track uninvited guests and also limit their access to the router.

You can also view how many connections are currently active and how many devices are using the router on the DHCP Clients List tab, if there is one in the admin panel. In addition, here you will receive more detailed information - MAC addresses and assigned IP, which will greatly facilitate the search for other people's devices.

Disconnecting unwanted guests from the router

Now you know how to see who is surfing your Internet without your knowledge, and it’s time to take action. And the most correct solution would be to forcibly disconnect unscrupulous users from the network. To do this you need:

• go to the admin panel of the router;
• go to the tab “Wireless” – “Security” (Wireless Security);
• check if encryption is enabled, and if not, select WPA2-PSK from the drop-down list;
• Next, in the field below, set a password - at least 8 characters, and for greater security, mix letters with numbers of different registers;
• Click the Save button.

As a rule, on the same tab you will find a setting for the number of clients that can connect, but you need to change this parameter if a certain number of devices are always connected to the wireless network. After installing the protection, the router will reboot and all unauthorized devices will be disabled.

If you already had a password, and strangers managed to hack it, you need to disable each client manually, but first you need to determine which MAC addresses belong to your computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.

Go to the DHCP Clients List tab and disable all suspicious gadgets, change the password to a more complex one and reboot the router. If you accidentally turn off one of your gadgets, don’t worry - just allow the connection in the router’s admin panel.

Protecting your Internet from interference

To prevent third parties from connecting to your wireless network in the future, you need to take care to ensure the maximum level of security. This is done as follows:

• go to the router settings;
• copy the MAC addresses of all your devices that are connected to the router;
• find the Wireless MAC Filtering item;
• add the previously copied addresses here.

After making changes, save the settings and reboot the router through the admin panel. Such protection will be useful not only at home, but also in office environments, since you will only allow connections to devices with certain MAC addresses. But the disadvantage of maximum protection is that you will have to allow access to each new device manually, which is not very convenient if there is a large turnover of gadgets, for example, in a service center.

Step-by-step video instructions:

Programs for monitoring Wi-Fi activity

Despite the fact that you can perform all operations to disconnect and connect new users through the standard control panel of the router, this is not always convenient, since you will have to check network activity quite often, and the software shell does not have notification capabilities. But you can find software on the Internet that will allow you to view the list of clients without having to go to the admin panel:

1. Network Watcher is a simple utility that scans a network and displays all devices connected to it. Users will be able to check the computer name, MAC address, Internet protocol and network card details.
2. WiFi Guard - has all the same capabilities as Network Watcher, but can also notify the owner of suspicious activity.
3. NETGEAR Genie is a more advanced tool, as it allows you to get information not only about wireless connections, but also a network map. With its help, users will be able to manage the router and all connections, and if a child often works at the computer, you will be glad to see the Parental Control feature.

Wireless networks open up many opportunities for users, but do not forget that in the absence of the necessary level of security, a complete stranger can connect to them. This will not only lead to certain inconveniences, such as a drop in speed, but may also lead to the loss of confidential data. Therefore, you need to make sure in advance that no one else uses your Wi-Fi without your knowledge.

Video:

WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols, which are used to secure wireless networks, are considered extremely secure. More recently, such protection gave 100% confidence in the security of your Wi-Fi, provided that you use sufficiently strong passwords. But new equipment and modern technologies are gradually making it possible to crack this protection.

For example, using powerful graphics adapters to brute-force passwords allows you to select even complex keys in real time. For those who cannot afford a $500 GPU, there are special hacking services where they can hack any password for you for a very modest amount. So, if you can no longer vouch for the integrity of your network, then how do you know that it has been hacked and the villains are already inside? Two small utilities will help you with this.

This is a small utility from Nirsoft that scans wireless networks and displays a list of all computers and devices that are currently connected to the network. For each computer or device connected to the network, the IP address, MAC address, name, and possibly the name of the computer are displayed.

You can also export the list of connected devices in HTML/XML/CSV format or copy the list to the clipboard.

Wireless Network Watcher can periodically scan your network in the background. If new devices are detected, the program will alert the user with a sound signal.

SoftPerfect Wi-Fi Guard

This is another free app that scans your Wi-Fi network for new connected devices.

If an unfamiliar device is found, the program warns the user that an intruder has been detected. If the device is known to you, then you can add it to the white list. The program will no longer pay attention to it.